Page 22 of Inked Beasts

Which means it’s my problem, not his, that his entirely appropriate distance disturbs me, even with Gage standing right next to me. Yep, definitely not rational where Kai’s concerned.

There’s a teasing light in those eyes now, his lips curving slowly, as if he can read my mind. Suddenly annoyed with both him and myself, I tell him, “Nice place,” in a deliberately casual tone of voice. “Fancy.”

Kai grins, not concerned by what might seem faint praise to others. “We like it.” Then the smile fades, and there’s a brief but charged silence before he cants his head toward his client. “Gotta get back. Catch you later.”

He’s gone two steps before he stops and says over his shoulder, “We can talk aboutJane Eyresome more.”

My face gets hot. It’s a good thing Gage already knows we slept together. Still, I keep my eyes on Kai as he makes his way back to his client, and don’t look at the man beside me.

By the time Kai’s back at work, my face no longer feels like it could grill a shish kabob. “Looks like a big job,” I observe to Gage, hoping I sound casual. Kai said as much this morning, but no point revealing that.

“It’ll take multiple days to get it all done,” Gage agrees. If he noticed my flaming face, he’s too much of a gentleman to mention it.

“When’s your first client today?” I ask.

“Not until this afternoon. We’re open well into the evening, and the hours add up, so Ember gives us half-days off here and there. One of the benefits of having more artists on staff.”

“Makes sense.” I glance around the space again, but unless I’m going to get inked myself, there’s no point staying here. “What do you do with your time off?”

“It varies. Is there anything you need? I could take you shopping.”

I’m so surprised by his offer that I almost don’t think I hear him right. Scott never wanted to go shopping with me, not even for groceries for the both of us.

With free meals at Belle Epoque, I don’t need food. I will need more clothing for my unexpected extended stay here in Vegas and my new job, but I’m not in the mood for it right now. Plus, if Gage is still as generous in spirit as he was when we were kids, he might try to pay, and I don’t want to take advantage of his kindness.

“I think I’m good at the moment, but thanks.” I smile at him and start to move toward the door, but Gage touches my arm.

“This way,” he says, tilting his head toward a door in the back. Curious, I follow him, glancing at Kai one last time. He’s still absorbed in his job.

The door leads to a storage area, and there’s another door that leads to a service hallway. “Sneaky,” I say with approval.

The hallway winds through the building, with doors for other businesses spaced along it. Eventually, it lets out onto an alley right across from the parking structure, and we make it back to Gage’s car without encountering any more fans.

“So, no shopping?” he asks once we’re inside the vehicle. “Are you going to be looking for an apartment?”

I blow out a breath. “I don’t know. I need to figure out what my long-term plans are. At first, I thought I’d just stay in Vegas for a few days, catch up with you all … but now that I’m working for Clare, I need to rethink that.”

“Want to hang at my place for a bit? We can relax, talk things through.”

“That sounds good.” I’m avidly curious about the lives my friends have built for themselves. Part of me wishes I’d accepted Kai’s invitation to stay at his place last night.

Gage starts the car and winds through the garage to street level. His driving is as smooth as the rest of him, elegant, with no wasted movement. Is that what he’s like in bed?

My face gets hot, and I’m glad he’s focused on the road and not me. I’m so much more at ease with Gage in some ways, and so much more vulnerable in others.

Sex with Kai was straightforward: desire, action, pleasure. Things won’t be so simple with Gage … if we reach that point.

The car noses into another parking garage, eventually gliding into a numbered spot near an elevator. Gage leads me, not to the elevator, but to double doors that he opens with an access card. They lead to a short hallway and another set of doors; this time, he uses the card again, and also a code that he punches into a keypad set into the wall.

We emerge into another hallway, this one a bit wider than normal in an apartment building. The carpeting is high end, the walls decorated with tasteful contemporary art. An alcove holds a small sculpture on a pedestal.

Gage leads me around a few corners before he stops at one of the doors, accessing it with what I’m pretty sure is a different key card. I’m impressed by the extent of the security, but it also makes me a bit worried. Enthusiastic fans are one thing, but have any of them crossed the line and turned into stalkers?

I don’t ask, because we’ve entered the apartment, and I’m too busy taking it all in. High ceilings, tall windows letting in the light, clean lines, art on the walls. A few select pieces, each making a statement.

It’s the perfect environment for Gage: cool and sophisticated, but not cold. Most of the apartment is done in neutrals, except for the art and some of the other decor: a pot of flowers on a windowsill, a colorful plate in the kitchen. Someone who didn’t know him could look at this space and draw the wrong conclusions, but the hints of his inner fire are there for anyone with eyes to see.

I content myself with the visible areas of his home, not detouring to see his bedroom. Safer that way. The nervous energy I felt earlier is once again doing pirouettes up and down my spine.

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